As the eyes of the Formula 1 world turn to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, a forgotten racetrack remains in Crystal Palace Park.
Built in 1927, the Crystal Palace Circuit played host to many prestigious racing events up until the early 1970s, including non-championship Formula 1 races, as well as Formula 2 and Formula 3 competitions.
Some of F1’s biggest names raced at Crystal Palace, including future world champions Emerson Fittipaldi (1972, 1974), James Hunt (1976), and Jody Scheckter (1979).
The Crystal Palace Foundation chairman and former marshal at the track Melvyn Harrison said: “When I did it, to me, it was proper motor racing.”
However, despite its pedigree, the track was far from a safe venue, offering little in the way of run-off areas or safety barriers, meaning that even minor mistakes could lead to serious consequences.
Harrison said: “The circuit was dangerous, there’s no question about that.
“If you ran off and crashed, you could be looking at a very, very serious injury or even death.”
Today’s Formula 1 is far safer thanks to technological innovations like the halo device – a protective structure above the cockpit that became mandatory in 2018, four years after driver Jules Bianchi’s fatal crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Though much of the old Crystal Palace circuit has disappeared beneath grass and footpaths, sections of the original track still remain.
CRYSTAL PALACE BEND: A surviving section of the historic racing circuit, located near the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre (Credit: Fergus Sowrey)
Visitors can spot the former paddock area near the Crystal Palace Bowl, offering a glimpse into the park’s high-speed past.
Beyond racing, the circuit has long been a popular filming location.
It has appeared in several well-known productions, including Rush (2013), a racing biopic which explored the rivalry between Hunt and Niki Lauda as they battled for the 1976 World Driver’s Championship.
Sectors of the circuit also featured in The Italian Job (1969), with Michael Caine, and even in episodes of the popular television series, Agatha Christie’s Poirot.
Although the last official race took place in 1972, the Sevenoaks & District Motor Club later revived a portion of the circuit for sprint events.
Between 1997 and 2019, the club intermittently hosted annual race days, holding timed runs along a mile-long stretch of the old track.
These events attracted a mix of amateur and semi-professional drivers, along with local spectators.
YOU CAN’T PARK THERE: Day two of the sprint event at Crystal Palace in 2015 (Credit: Paul Jenkins via Flickr)
Sevenoaks & District Motor Club archivist Russ Burton said: “After Covid, running the event was pretty impossible.”
Burton cited that the high cost of the event was a factor, with former club chairman Chris Judge revealing that hosting the event cost around £80,000 in a 2022 Motorsport UK interview.
Today, the club continues to organise events at Brands Hatch circuit in Sevenoaks, and remains active, with around 190 main members and 270 family memberships.
However, given that the old Crystal Palace Circuit was one of the oldest tracks of its time, its loss is still felt.
Harrison, said: “I do feel sorry for them, because [Sevenoaks & District Motor Club] had a good event going there and it was very successful.”
While Crystal Palace may no longer play home to motor racing, talk of a future London Grand Prix continues to simmer amongst petrolheads.
For over a decade, there have been proposals, some more realistic than others, to bring Formula 1 back to the capital.
The idea of a London street circuit gained traction back in 2012, with initial plans routing the track past the city’s most iconic landmarks.
The concept, backed by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, also drew interest from drivers, including seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Although the likelihood of such an event taking place has been played down, Formula 1 fan Haydn Oakley suggested that a London race would be quite the spectacle.
Oakley said: “Obviously it’s probably never going to happen, but it would be pretty amazing to see.”
With it being over half a century since Formula 1 last left its mark on the capital, Crystal Palace Park remains a quiet reminder of South London’s brief but significant role in the history of British motorsport.
Featured Image: Rachel Clarke via Flickr
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